Apollo & David meets Sekirei: Second Fiddle
by HorizonTheTransient
Summary: Apollo and David Anderson. Two cousins, both of whom tend to get overlooked. When they wake up in an alley in Tokyo, with no memory of how they got there, they decide to put to use some of their more... esoteric skills. Not everything is as it seems, however, and they quickly find themselves pulled into a huge mess. Parallel to Apollo & David meets Sekirei: Solo Act, until Part 4
1. Prologue

Let me tell you a story. There was a man named David Anderson. He grew up alienated from everyone, until, at age 10, his cousin Argus came to visit, and took the boy under his wing. David learned many skills, among them swordsmanship; David wields a pair of twin falchions with expert grace and precision. Argus had two brothers who were also like him and David. They were smart, but not loved by their peers. They also knew how to handle swords. The brothers of Argus were Icarus(5 years younger than Argus), and Apollo(9 years younger than Argus, one year older than David).

This is so that you understand who I'm talking about when I say the names 'David', 'Argus', 'Icarus', or 'Apollo'. Now, in one version of this timeline, a dimension hopper shows up, recruits David to the ranks of dimension hoppers, and David begins to mess with his alternate selves. One thing to mention is that David's timeline did not have the anime/manga Sekirei. So, these guys have no idea what they're getting into.

Also, David becomes a vampire hunter at 20 and earns the title of Blood Mage. Granted, the public didn't even know vampires existed, and neither did the Andersons until David got jumped by some vampiric hobo.

Now, I told you that story so that I could tell you this story.


	2. Chapter 1

David Anderson(Age: 15), and Apollo Anderson(Age: 16), wake up in an alley. This confuses them. They had gone to sleep in beds. And the climate seems off. David had fallen asleep in Texas, while Apollo had fallen asleep in Nova Scotia. They were not expecting to wake up next to each other in an alley in an unfamiliar city, where all the signs were written in Japanese.

"Apollo? Do you have any idea what the hell's going on?"

"No I do not. No I do not. Maybe..."

"Maybe what? Do you have an idea that's so crazy it might just work?"

"No, what I'm thinking is, all the signs appear to be in Japanese Kanji. Ergo, we are most likely in Japan."

"But of course. But wait, can you read Kanji?"

"No, but I can recognize it. Huh. Well, this is odd."

"Yeah. I go to sleep expecting tomorrow to be another tooth-grinding slog through tedium, and I wake up in an alleyway with one of my favorite cousins who I know for a fact lives in Halifax."

"What to do, what to do…"

It was then that David spotted an envelope on the ground, with two bulges in it.

"Huh? What's this…"

David picked up the envelope, and noticed that it was labeled in English.

_To: David and Apollo Anderson_

_From: David Anderson, the Blood Mage_

"David Anderson the Blood Mage? The hell? Oh well, it's addressed to us, so let's open it up."

"What's inside?"

David opened up the envelope, and pulled out two amulets, a letter, and two smartphones. He read the letter.

_Hey. You just woke up in an alley in Tokyo. Odd, since you fell asleep in your beds in Texas and Nova Scotia. But how you got there is unimportant. Why you are there is more important. I put you two here, in this situation, because I need to see how you will act in the scenario that you're about to go through. Keep an open mind, remember that not everything is how it seems, and if you meet a woman named Kazehana with boobs the size of basketballs, tell her that she needs to get over Minaka and move on._

_ -David Anderson, the Blood Mage_

_PS: There's a story behind why I'm called the Blood Mage. I don't feel like telling you, because it always ends with Crazy Train going through my head for the next month._

The rest of the sheet was instructions. An address, a bank account that would keep them sustained, and what the amulets did(granted the wearer the ability to speak any language).

"Huh. Odd."

"Looking forward to meeting Kazehana?"

"Apollo, you know I don't have a libido."

"We'll just see about that…"

"Ignoring that, we should probably find this address. Let's see… the phones have GPS transponders built in… Let's go for a walk."

"Sounds good."

The two walked throughout the city, heading towards the address they were given, and reached it after an hour of walking. They approached the front door, when they heard incoherent yells, and the sound of someone being thrown against the wall. They exchanged nervous glances; They could protect themselves very easily, Argus and Kyle made certain of that, but they didn't like fighting. Fighting meant people got hurt, and relationships tended to sour very quickly when violence was involved. Also, they knew that they weren't untouchable in combat. They could get hurt in fights, and it would take time to heal.

Shoving those concerns aside, David knocked on the door multiple times in quick succession. After a few seconds of waiting, someone answered the door. A woman wearing shrine maiden garb, with lavender hair, stood in front of the two boys.

"Hello, can I help you?"

David spoke first.

"We were told that if we needed a place to stay, we should come here. We were only given an address, no context at all."

"Ah. I see. Come in, and we can discuss rent."

The Anderson boys nodded their heads, and walked in, divesting themselves of their shoes at the door. They sat down on one of the couches in the living room, and noticed a guy walk in from upstairs, nursing a lump on his head.

"Oh, that looks painful. How'd that happen?"

Apollo knew damn well where that lump was from. He just wanted to hear the guy's weak excuse for it.

"Oh, who are you two?"

"We're the Anderson Boys, we're probably gonna be the new tenants here. I'm David, he's Apollo. Don't call him Paul. Anyways, don't dodge the question."

"Uh… heh heh… a rock paper scissors match got out of hand, and I was caught in the crossfire."

Apollo gave him a 2 / 5 for believability, but a 4 / 5 for ballsiness. David was less impressed.

"Well, of all the things said within earshot of me, I think that one is the most laden with absurdity."

"You said it, David."

"L-look, they're r-really competitive. This sort of thing happens all the time."

"You should invest in a helmet, then. Or padded walls."

"I just realized, we don't know your name. Care to enlighten us, oh raven-haired dude?"

"Sahashi Minato. I'm a second year ronin. What about you guys?"

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me. By the way, I'm meant to deliver a message to a woman named Kazehana. That name ring any bells?"

"Hm… no… no, it doesn't. Got a physical description I can work with?"

"All I was told was that her name was Kazehana, and she had breasts the size of basketballs. Aside from that, I have nothing."

"Hm… that second part… describes half of the tenants here."

"I am in heaven!"

"Calm your raging hormones, Apollo, I doubt any of them are shotacons."

"Yeah, but I don't look like a teenage boy. I could easily be mistaken for an adult."

"So long as you shave, and keep your mouth shut, yeah."

"Shutup."

At that point, the woman came back, holding a stack of papers.

"So, where were you staying up until recently?"

"Halifax."

"Lubbock."

"I'm afraid I don't know where those cities are…"

"He's from Canada, and I'm from the southern bit of America. We woke up in an alley in Tokyo, and had no idea how we got there. I suspect a wizard did it."

"...what?"

"And we don't actually speak Japanese, these amulets let us do that."

"...who are you two?"

"We are the Anderson Boys. He's Apollo, and I'm David."

"Anderson… David… I think I have a package meant for you two. Blood Mage-sama… I think you two are the ones he spoke of…"

"Blood Mage, that's the title of the guy who gave us the address, the bank account, the phones, and the amulets."

"Well, that settles it. I'll go fetch the package. Wait here, please."

She left the room, and came back a minute later, holding a large cardboard box.

"I was given this five years ago, and told that one day, Blood Mage-sama would send two men, and that the box was meant for them. I have not opened it, but I am curious about its contents."

"How do you know the Blood Mage? And why do you call him sama?"

"He is a man of great power and virtue… I thought him just a hallucination, a dream, until he gave me the package."

"Interesting. Well, let's open her up. Got a knife, David?"

"I was in my bed before I woke up in that alley. It's a miracle I'm dressed. Of course I have a knife."

David produced a knife, and cut the tape binding the box shut. He opened it, and pulled forth four falchions, all sheathed. Two were white handled, the other two black handled. David kept the black handled ones, and gave the white handled ones to Apollo. Then he noticed the clothing in it, in two plastic wrapped packages, one labeled APOLLO, the other labeled DAVID.

"Swords and clothes. That's what he gave us. The clothes look like normal clothing that we could've found in any clothing store. The swords… those would've been harder to find."

"Ara? Are you two swordsmen?"

"Yes, we are indeed. I was trained by his brother, Argus. He was trained by his dad, Kyle. We're both really good at violence. Hope that doesn't unnerve you too much."

"There was another package…"

"Ah."

Another package was brought forth, and David opened it in a manner similar to a fisherman opening a trout. He pulled forth two electric guitars and a pair of amplifiers.

"Yes, we do know how to use these. And… wait, what's here? A cowbell, a… thing I know how to use, but don't know the name of, and a triangle. Huh. It's a music kit, Apollo."

"Indeed. You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Crazy Train or Hurricane?"

"Princes of the Universe."

"Damn. That one's hard. But, oh well. Nothing for it."

The two connected the amplifiers to the guitars, and gave a few experimental strums on them. Then they began playing Queen's Princes of the Universe. When they finished, four others had come down to see what the noise was all about.

"Ah, hello there, we're the new tenants. I'm David, this is Apollo. Apollo, say hi. Apollo?"

David had noticed Apollo's nosebleed, and looked once more at the newcomers. He could understand Apollo's nosebleed.

One of them had short black hair, a shrine maiden outfit(with a far shorter skirt than the one the lavender haired lady was wearing), and, as one might notice, a giant pair of breasts. The next was a blonde, wearing a black overcoat opened in the front, revealing a white dress. This dress revealed an astounding amount of cleavage, when coupled with the blonde's giant breasts. The third had long red hair, braided in the back, and a small window on her long white dress revealing a hint of cleavage. Like her contemporaries, her breasts were absurdly large, though not so absurd as the others. The fourth was a little girl with blonde hair and green eyes.

"Forgive my perverted cousin. He hasn't gotten a hold on his libido yet. Who might you four be?"

The blonde spoke first.

"I am Tsukiumi."

Then the redhead spoke.

"I'm Matsu, the little girl is Kusano, and the miko is Musubi."

"Pleased to meet all of you. Anyone else know how to play any instruments? Apollo and I are always looking to work with new musicians."

"You're musicians?"

Minato finally said something.

"We're musicians, scholars, and fighters. Fear us, for we are clever, patient, deliberate, and we have a plan to kill anyone we meet. I got thirteen for Apollo, and now I have seventeen."

"Huh? You say something about me?"

"Only that your appreciation of the fairer sex will get you killed one day."

"Look, I got needs, okay? Just because you don't doesn't mean I don't."

"Fair enough. I mean, you're only sixteen."

Minato spoke up again.

"Sixteen? He stands half a head above me!"

"And he's also a westerner from a family know for tall dudes. They think I'll be 205cm before I stop growing."

"But… but… why is life so unfair to me?"

"Life's unfair to everyone. I was alienated from everyone except Apollo and his brothers Argus and Icarus."

"Oh. How old are you, if you don't mind my asking?"

"15. And yet, I'm taller than Apollo. Strange, that."

At that, Minato stood up and left the room. David then directed his attention to the swords.

"Apollo, what do you say to a little spar, to keep ourselves sharp?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry, I'm a bit distracted at the moment. Gimme an hour to calm down and focus."

"You got half that."

David then stood up and walked out of the room. Unbeknownst to Apollo, he returned with a bucket of ice and water, and, waiting a few minutes for the water to reach the right temperature, he dumped it on Apollo's head. Apollo reacted instantly, ducking forward, unsheathing his swords, and yelling profanities. David threw the bucket at him and ran, drawing his own swords in the process . They went into the backyard, away from the house, and David turned to fight. He expertly blocked Apollo's first strike(which was itself meant to draw the guard into one place, and create an opening), and then easily parried the followup swipe at his right side. He then went on the offensive, staying Apollo's swords with one of his, and using the other in an overhead chop that was promptly blocked by Apollo's swords after he had freed them from David's blade lock. The two continued fighting for five minutes, expertly blocking every expert strike the other sent their way. By the end of it, Apollo was panting slightly, and David was merely sweating heavily.

"Good spar, cous."

"Fuck you, Dave."

"Oh relax. You'll be fine, you just need to change clothes and probably take a shower. And so do I."

"No, seriously, fuck you. You just ruined my chances with those girls."

"Apollo, you are sixteen. Not legal. Also, the spar may have impressed some of them, and they're right behind you. And the blonde looks slightly mad now that you've revealed your reasons for anger."

"Damnit. Well, she looks an awful lot like your sister, so I'm not too mad. Would've been awkward."

"Keep in mind that they are hearing every goddamn thing you say. The blonde looks livid now, and-"

David didn't finish that sentence, because Tsukiumi started yelling.

"Insolent monkey! I am Minato's wife, how dare you speak of me in that manner? Water Celebration!"

A geyser of water erupted from midair, striking Apollo in the chest and flinging him into a tree. David smirked.

"How ironic. The spitfire is actually a hydrokinetic. And… you said you were Minato's wife, yes? We were both unaware of that. We're not the most socially perceptive at times."

"Gr… keep talking, monkey. Give me a reason…"

David then started running away, sheathing his swords on his back as he ran, shouting behind him.

"Discretion is the better part of valor!"

He was in midair over the fence when the geyser struck him in the back. This made him eat dirt and grass, which he spat out, not finding it to his liking. He stood up, brushed himself off, and began to plot revenge on the blonde spitfire. He had come up with a plan involving shampoo, ketchup, baking soda, wasabi, and toothpaste by the time he entered the building he and Apollo would stay at, dropping himself on the couch with a satisfying thunk. Then someone entered the room from upstairs. She had black hair, pulled into a ponytail, and had most likely just woken up, if her state of dress was anything to go by. David quickly closed his eyes and looked away, speaking as he did so.

"Hey. I'm David, one of two new tenants. The other's my cousin, Apollo."

"Oh? Huh. I was wondering what the commotion outside was. I'm Uzume. Met any of the others?"

"Let's see… the redhead with cokebottle glasses, the lavender haired landlady, the little girl, the black haired miko, and the blonde spitfire who can manipulate water like someone out of Avatar The Last Airbender. She was… displeased with Apollo's comments on her and the others."

"What'd he say?"

"He's sixteen and male. I think you can guess, given what the others look like."

"Heh. Yeah, Tsukiumi can be pretty nasty when guys admit attraction to her."

"Or when guys see what happened to their friend and bolt. Hit me right in the back while I was hopping the fence."

"Oof. That must've hurt."

"It's only because I know how to take a fall that I'm uninjured. Apollo got thrown into a tree. How the hell does she do that, anyways?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Yesterday, I fell asleep in my home in America. I woke up in an alley in Japan with an envelope containing magic amulets allowing Apollo and I to ignore the language barrier and an address: here. There is little you could offer that I would find hard to believe."

"Oh. Well, it's also not my secret to tell. Nor is it Tsukiumi's. Anyways, just out of curiosity, how old are you?"

"Fifteen. Puberty was better to me than it was Apollo. I don't have to deal with that annoying libido, and I'm a lot taller and stronger than him. Well, not by much, admittedly. I've only got half a head over him, and we're actually even when it comes to strength."

"Oh. Then why are you not looking at me?"

"Because I'm being polite, and you aren't entirely dressed. It's how I was raised."

"Ah. Well, I suppose I should put on more clothes before Miya scolds me for immodesty…"

A voice sounded from behind David.

"I'm afraid it's too late, Uzume. What have I told you about clothing?"

"That I should wear it at all times outside of my room and the bath?"

"And yet, here you are. Perhaps I need to reinforce the lesson."

"Ack! No! I'll behave!"

An aura of fear came over David, and he prepared himself to listen to the scolding of epic proportions.

* * *

With Apollo

* * *

Apollo, after hearing his cousin's battle cry of cowardice, took the opportunity to leg it as well. He was just more subtle about it.

Didn't stop him from getting slammed with another geyser, but it was a nice enough try.

"Vile monkey! I will teach you respect!"

"Heh… I'd… like to see… you try… spitfire… I'm not afraid of you."

Lies and blasphemy. If his pants weren't already soaked through by the geyser, they'd be soaked through by his piss. As it stands, they were uncomfortably warm.

"Water Celebration!"

Apollo had seen the attack twice, and knew now how to dodge it. And dodge it he did.

"Hah! So predictable! That's the problem with a bag of tricks, they don't always work a third time!"

"Hold still! Water Celebration!"

Apollo dodged again, and charged at Tsukiumi. She was about to get off another water celebration when he barreled into her, tackling her to the floor. He pinned her arms with his knees, and folded his arms over his chest.

"Now, I do believe I win. However, I do need to check on my dear cousin David. That boy's helpless without me."

"Get off of me!"

"Once you apologize and promise to never do so again outside of a spar."

"Hmph!"

The redhead spoke up.

"Oh just swallow your pride already, Tsukiumi-tan. He beat you, fair and square."

"Indeed I did, redheaded compatriot!"

"My name is Matsu!"

"And I'll probably forget it, because I have a terrible memory when little details like that are involved."

"Hmph. Teenage boys these days…"

"And proud of it!"

Then Apollo took a water celebration to the face, knocking him off Tsukiumi and flinging him a fair distance.

"Ow! Foul, foul! Ref! She struck during the time-out!"

"Vile monkey! I shall not allow you to violate me!"

"Wait… are you accusing me of attempted rape? Fuck this, fuck you, I'm leaving."

Apollo, now with a serious look on his face, walked over to where his swords lied, and picked them up. He sheathed them, shot a venomous glare at Tsukiumi, and walked past them into the house, to find Miya scolding Uzume while David just sat there, basking(or wallowing) in the fear aura Miya exuded. And there was something more… ah, right, the floating demon mask behind Miya, that seemed intently focused on Uzume. Apollo could understand, as he was also intently focused on her, but for different reasons.

"Ah, Apollo, is that you? How did you resolve the battle?"

"Sh… I'm busy."

"Calm your raging hormones for one minute, man! Anyone else wanna fill me in?"

"Ah, Apollo managed to figure out how to dodge Tsukiumi's water blasts, and had her pinned. He demanded an apology before he would let her up, and she hit him while she was pinned. She then said something that really set him off, and all mirth was gone from him."

"Did she take the tackle and pinning the wrong way?"

"She did."

David walked over to where the group was standing, opening his eyes to see, and gave Tsukiumi a venomous glare.

"Neither of us is that sort of person. Make such an accusation again, and we will not hesitate to embark on a campaign of revenge. As it stands, we are not fond of you. You attack us due to a comment he made, and when he demands an apology, you simply attack him again. That does not engender trust or friendship. You're on thin ice with us, Spitfire. We will not show mercy when the time comes."

At that point, Miya concluded her scolding, and Uzume spirited up the stairs to get dressed properly.

"Sorry about that. Now, what were you discussing?"

"Ah, the super soaker incident. Apollo and I were sparring, he made a complimentary comment towards Spitfire, redhead, and miko, and Spitfire took exception to that. She blasted him with the water geyser thing, then, when I ran, she got me too. He apparently had more fight in him, and learned how to dodge the blasts, before pinning her and demanding an apology. She blasted him off of her and accused him of wanting to commit a certain unforgivable crime. The two of us take remarkable offense to being accused of things like that."

"Oh, really? Tsukiumi, I need to speak to you about proper conduct…"

The demon mask appeared once more, and David took that as his cue to leg it, as did Apollo.

* * *

Room 204

* * *

David and Apollo were in the room they shared, tuning their guitars to their liking. David finished first, and looked over at Apollo.

"Hey, Apollo?"

"Yeah, David?"

"I feel like there's a big piece of the puzzle missing. Like, why the hell was Spitfire able to be a human garden hose? And why was Miya able to do that demon mask thing?"

"Well, my guess is that they're part of a secret superhuman race, and they're in a battle royale thing that allows for teams to exist."

"Under normal circumstances, I'd ask if you were smoking some sort of cannabis, then ask if I could have some. However, that's not outside the realm of possibility. My guess, however, is that they're a sort of family of supernatural demihumans. Not related by blood, but they live together and share burdens."

"This is a boarding house, bro. If you ain't the landlady, you pay rent. Probably not a co-op or commune or something like that."

"Hmm… well, we could ask them. There's always that."

"They might be unwilling to share, dude."

"Well, it's their secret, not ours, so they get to decide if we know or not. At least, until we start being harmed by this secret, then they better start talking before I bust out the goddamn ginger ale."

"The ginger ale trick? You sadist!"

"Look, we have no idea what's going on, they probably do, and let's keep in mind that what I described is the worst case scenario. Hopefully they'll understand that we've shared our secrets with them, and reciprocate."

"We can only hope…"

* * *

Dinner that night

* * *

Everyone dug in to Miya's delicious cooking, save for Apollo and David. They didn't much care for traditional japanese food, and picked at their food, eating the meat and rice, but not the pickled vegetables, or the strange soup that smelled of death. After everyone had finished eating, they all sat around, letting the food digest, and chatting. David picked a lull in the conversation to drop a verbal bomb.

"So, question and answer time. I know Spitfire over there isn't entirely human, what I want to know is details. Are there others like her? Would they pose a threat to Apollo and me due to proximity, or the crime of being human on a sunny day? Feel free to start at the beginning."

Suddenly, the mood was dead. Matsu spoke in a shaky voice.

"Why, what gave you tha-"

"I saw her condense the water from the air into a sphere, then that sphere became a very fast moving gout of water. I saw her do that twice, and Apollo saw it happen more. We're not stupid."

"We really aren't that stupid. I know I'm easily distracted by anything with breasts, but I'm not some mindless, horny teenager. Beneath my veneer of comedic perversion lies a smart, patient, and deliberate man."

"So go on. Tell us everything. We're open to all sorts of wild shit. We woke up in an alley halfway around the world from home, with magical amulets that let us speak Japanese. I hardly think you can give us a story that's any more hard to believe."

There was a pause. Then Matsu spoke.

"Come with me. I have visual aids in my room."

Apollo started giggling, before receiving a dope slap(slap across the back of the head) from David, shutting him up. David and Apollo followed Matsu up the stairs and into her room. Matsu's room was filled with monitors and computers. David and Apollo sat in roughly the middle of the room, and watched patiently as Matsu fiddled with her rig a bit.

"Okay. I'll explain. But what I tell you cannot leave this room, okay?"

"Got it."

"We'll keep a secret."

* * *

An explanation of the basic premise of Sekirei later

* * *

"...so, I think I got it. You're a bunch of psychic superpowered aliens fueled by the power of love and used to fight a battle royale that goes mostly outside of the public eye, and the company pulling the strings is MBI. That's… disappointing, actually."

"Pay up."

"I know, I know…"

David reluctantly gave Apollo a 500 yen note(they had gone to the bank at some point). Looking around, David noted that Musubi had joined them, as had Minato and Tsukiumi.

"And you!"

David and Apollo said that same line at the same time to the same person with the same gesture: Minato, turning to point at him menacingly.

"Train me, sensei!"

"How the hell did you end up in this situation?!"

Minato crawled backwards out of the room, mumbling weak excuses.

"...seriously, how the fuck did he end up with a harem? He is quite possibly one of the least likely harem recipients ever. He's spineless, he cracks under pressure, and he… oh shit. I just figured it out."

"Yeah, I figured it out too, Apollo, but don't say it out loud. Spitfire will take offense, then she'll start with the super-soaker, then Matsu will be pissed because not hitting a computer in here would be considerably harder than, say, juggling razor shurikens. With your bare hands."

"And that's real hard, lemme tell you."

"So, until next time… David, awaaay!"

At that point, David and Apollo absconded from the room like bats out of hell.

"...Ufufufu… what strange boys… And, what were they calling you, Spitfire? Matsu likes."

"Silence, insolent strumpet!"

Meanwhile, in room 204, David spoke.

"You know, we never did get the real story on how Minato got that lump."

"Spitfire?"

"Spitfire, definitely."

And with that, the two boys tried to sleep on their sleeping mats, before finally drifting off.


	3. Chapter 2

David woke up very early, before Apollo, and decided to go for a morning stroll around the grounds of the boarding house. As he walked around, he looked around at the plant life. The cherry trees had already blossomed, and were now devoid of flowers. Ergo, it was late spring or early summer.

His contemplation on the cherry blossoms was interrupted by someone quietly opening the back door. Without turning to face the newcomer, David spoke.

"Also getting a little morning air?"

The newcomer's footsteps paused, then resumed. David memorized their pattern, to later identify the newcomer. After memorizing it, he turned just in time to hear the newcomer(Miya) speak.

"Yes… the morning air in the summer is always so wonderful…"

"Heh… where I'm from, the morning air is unpleasant in the summer. Then again, everything's unpleasant in the summer."

"So, you really are from America, with no idea how you got here?"

"Indeed I am. I do not lie about these sorts of things. By the way, I'm… slightly concerned about Kusano. Are we entirely certain that-"

"Minato is behaving himself. He does not even look at her in that light."

"That's better. So, what is there that may need doing today? Apollo and I only have sparring and music to occupy ourselves with, so…"

"Well, I was going to have Tsukiumi and Musubi do the grocery shopping, but I suppose you two tagging along will make things go even faster."

"Okay then. I think that'll keep us occupied for a good while."

David then idly scratched at his left shoulder, which was sore for no adequately explained reason. Then Miya spoke.

"Ara… why do you have your swords with you?"

"Hm? Oh, I didn't even notice. Yeah, I tend to keep these with me whenever I can. It makes me harder to kill. I don't generally wear them in public unless I'm also wearing a costume that lets me say 'I'm cosplaying as some guy', and not have people call bullshit."

A ladle somehow made its way to David's forehead.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Profane language is forbidden in Izumo House."

"Gr… fine, fine, I accept your terms."

"I wonder… I saw your spar with your brother-"

"Cousin. Apollo and I may be as close as brothers, but we're actually cousins. Sorry for interrupting, I just wanted to dispel the misconception early on. Please continue."

"...As I was saying, I saw your spar with your cousin, and I noticed that you are both very skilled swordsmen. Would you be up for a spar?"

"Hm… what sort of sword will you be using?"

"A katana."

"Then no. I don't want to accidentally break it. These swords I'm using seem to be made of a very sturdy material, that can hold an edge to cut through wood like butter. I shudder to think of what it would do to a katana, one of the most notoriously flimsy swords to be made by humans."

"Did… you just insult katanas?"

"Look, considering what the swordsmiths had to work with at the time, they were excellent. But in this day and age, a katana simply isn't practical."

"And I suppose falchions are?"

"Yes. Because they're heavy duty, they're meant to take a ton of punishment and dish out more. That's when they're made of terrestrial steel. This… this metal that these swords are made of… it is excellent. The edge is sharp enough to shave with, not that I've tried."

"How do I know that?"

"I still have a head attached to my shoulders. Anyways, to answer your question, no, I will not spar with you. I would break your katana, and that would make you very sad. Then, you would let me know exactly how very sad you are, and that demon mask will make me very sad."

"Hmph. Sword snob."

"Hey, I have to use the damn things."

And with that, Miya walked back into the house, head tilted upward, and eyes closed. David turned his thoughts to the cherry blossoms once more, contemplating the inherent metaphor.

* * *

Later that morning

* * *

"How long has he been like this?"

"He was like that when I first saw him this morning, and he's not talking."

Apollo and Matsu were looking at David, who was in the crane position, arms outstretched, swords drawn, and on top of a 3 meter pole driven into the ground. His eyes were closed, and he made not a single sound. Musubi walked out into the backyard, saw David, and tilted her head in confusion.

"What's he doing? Is it fun?"

"David appears to be meditating. I wonder wh- wait, are those cherry trees?"

"Yes."

"That explains it. He likes the scent of cherry, and always wanted to go to a cherry blossom picnic."

"Ah. Then why is he-"

"He's really weird, and so am I. We're just weird in different ways."

"Ah."

"Indeed. I wonder…"

Apollo picked a up a rock from off the ground, and threw it like a fastball at David. David blocked it adroitly with the flat of one of his swords, and returned to his original position.

"He's still awake. Sometimes he falls asleep in his meditation, and doesn't wake up for hours."

"You could've asked, you colossal dickweed."

"And he speaks. Come on down and claim your prize: A hug from whoever feels like giving one!"

David dropped his center of mass, tensing his legs, then jumped forward, somersalting as he went, before he landed on the balls of his feet and came to a stop in a bow, swords still in hand. He then began to administer hugs to all present.

"Good morning, ladies, Apollo."

"Good morning, David. When did you wake up?"

"Oh, I'd say, around… a half hour before dawn? I dunno. I sleep real weird."

"Wow…"

And at that, David's stomach rumbled, which set off a chain reaction, in which Musubi's stomach remembered that it was empty and rumbled as well.

"So when's breakfast?"

"In a minute. Miya sent me to tell you guys."

"Thank you, Musubi. Let's go inside, and eat, before my stomach eats my liver."

* * *

An hour or so after breakfast

* * *

"Musubi, are you ready to hunt that scoundrel Sekirei?"

"Hai!"

"Wait! Don't go!"

"Minato, we must do this! It is a matter of honor!"

With that, Tsukiumi and Musubi walked out of Minato's room, and out the front door.

* * *

After about fifteen minutes of walking

* * *

Tsukiumi and Musubi were walking along the streets, on the lookout for the Sekirei who defeated opponents without giving a name or number. A familiar voice, sort of like Ozzy Osborne, came from behind them.

"Jesus, how far is the supermarket?"

Another voice, reminiscent of Junior Brown, spoke from a position next to him.

"No idea, David. But we've passed three of them already."

"Huh. Maybe they're less than reputable?"

"Possibly."

Tsukiumi stopped and turned around to face the Anderson Boys who had been trailing her and Musubi without either of them knowing.

"What are you two doing here?!"

"Well, we thought you and Musubi were going grocery shopping, and so we decided to come with you guys, because we had nothing better to do."

"We aren't going grocery shopping, we're looking for someone! A very dishonorable person!"  
"Ah. Well, you've got two of them in the form of Apollo and I. But don't you worry. Our blades are not yet aligned against you."

"Go back to the inn!"

"Well, now we're even less willing to leave. Isn't that right, Apollo?"

"Someone has to watch you two, and keep the body count low, and we're the only ones capable and available."

"Damn skippy."

"Fine! But when combat begins, you are to hide behind a wall, and not interfere!"

David and Apollo nodded their heads.

They continued walking, before reaching a conspicuously empty street. Empty except for a young couple on their knees and trembling in fear, and a woman wearing something one would assume would not ever be worn in public by anyone other than a stripper or prostitute. It included a short skirt, two wide bands of white cloth acting as a shirt of sorts, and a hood that concealed her face. There were also a half dozen long white scarves acting like Doctor Octopus' robot tentacles. David was downwind of her, and recognized her scent(David has the nose of a bloodhound, and can track and identify people based on scent): Uzume. David began to speak in Etruscan, something he was fairly confident only Apollo would understand.

"Hey. I know who the new girl is. Do you?"

"I'd recognize that rack anywhere. It's Uzume."

"I identified her by scent, not by breasts, but yeah, that's Uzume. There's something wrong with you when you can identify a woman by her breasts, by the way."

"Bah. It just shows a healthy interest in the opposite sex."

"We're not having this argument now."

Tsukiumi, ignoring the two tagalongs who had started speaking an unrecognizable tongue, lept forward to land between Uzume and the couple.

"I am Number 09, Tsukiumi! Prepare yourself for battle, scoundrel!"

"Please, get out of my way. I don't want to hurt you."

And then, Tsukiumi lapsed into histrionics about honor, proper conduct, and all sorts of stupid bullshitty things that David and Apollo never cared anything for. So, they chose that moment to attack. Apollo had a two second head start, and stopped about two meters away from Uzume, crouching into a position that would allow David to springboard off of him. Then they both got flung backwards by a very strong wind.

"My, my, this doesn't look fair at all. Four on one?"

David struggled to his feet, clutching his now very sore left shoulder, and looked at the newcomer.

Then he passed out from blood loss, a heavy blush covering everything from the clavicle up. Apollo looked at his fallen cousin, then at the woman, then spoke.

"So he does have a libido…"

That seemed to drag everyone out of combat mode.

"I mean, he berates me for my appreciation of the fairer sex, but now, now he falls before them as I do. He's not gonna hear the end of this, not if I have anything to say about it."

"Wh-what are you talking about?! This is no time for levity!"

"It's the perfect time for levity! Look, he has the nosebleed and everything! Also, like we said earlier, we're here to keep the body count to a minimum. And that means getting bystanders out of the way, or, if we can, averting violence in the first place. Levity keeps you from fighting, unlike us. We're trained to use conversation to our advantage in combat. We could have a business meeting during a pitched sword fight if we so desired. And we had a business. That would also help considerably."

"Gr… You also agreed that you would stay away from the fighting when the time comes!"

"I lied."

"Grah! Water Celebration!"

Apollo dodged easily, and spoke.

"Easy now, Spitfire. Let's be civil about this."

"Civil? IT IS TOO LATE FOR CIVIL, VIOLATOR!"

"BITCH I'LL KILL YOU!"

Apollo drew his swords and rushed Tsukiumi, dodging water celebrations and in general being a badass. He got within arm's reach of Tsukiumi, who had this time kept moving as she fired, and held his swords at her throat

"You're lucky I have problems with killing…"

He turned to look at Uzume and the new interloper, and noticed that they had gotten away while he and Tsukiumi were fighting.

"Well, that's a bust. Let's go home, everyone. Little lovers, you too."

Apollo walked over to his bloodied cousin and picked him up in a bridal carry so as to not jostle his head, and then shook him awake.

"Gah! What was that?"

"Your libido was awakened."

"Well I know that! But what I meant was, who was that woman?"

"No clue. But before you go head over heels for her, remember that she's probably responsible for the gale force winds that threw you a good 10 meters and wrecked your shoulder."

"Gah… I'm torn, now. On one hand, I now have no desire other than to bring her pleasure. On the other hand, she's responsible for my injury… Fuck."

"Buy me dinner first, and maybe I'll consider it."

"Not you, her. Now put me down, I can still walk."

"Yeah, sure thing."

David turned to look at the couple, and spoke.

"Come with us. We need to talk. I promise you, on my blood, that I will not allow harm to befall you while in our company."

To emphasise this and show he wasn't lying, he pulled a knife from his pocket, and cut his palm, letting the scarlet fluid drip down to the street. The two hesitantly stood and followed the group as they made their way back to Izumo House.

"By the way, normally I'd greet you with a hug, but my hand is dripping with blood right now, and I don't think that'd be a good idea."

* * *

At Izumo House

* * *

"We're back, and we've got company!"

Apollo was the louder of the two Anderson boys, and so he was the one to announce their presence.

"Alright, just remain calm, and be polite. My oath still stands."

The couple they had saved from Uzume was composed of #95 Kuno, a decidedly average looking girl, and Shigi Haruka, a 2nd year ronin, just like Minato.

"Dude, you're freaky."

"I just wanted to prove a point, the point being that I wasn't lying."

"Still freaky."

Miya walked in, and smiled at the newcomers.

"Welcome, please make yourselves at home."

"These two are Shigi Haruka and #95 Kuno. They were looking for a safe haven, and so, I brought them here. I hope you don't mind."

"Oh, not at all! We have much to discuss…"

* * *

Later

* * *

"You WHAT?!"

"Impossible!"

"Cowards!"

"You have my sword."

That was the reaction from Minato, Matsu, Tsukiumi, and David(in that order) to Haruka saying he wanted to leave Tokyo, and the Sekirei plan. All eyes(except for Apollo's, because he was right there with him) turned to David.

"You love this girl. You don't want to be forcibly separated from her. Staying in Tokyo means you might be forcibly separated. Ergo, you leave Tokyo. It makes sense, but, by yourselves, you can't do it. I respect and support your goal, ergo, you have my sword, meaning that I'll help hold off the guards long enough for you and Kuno to flee like bats out of hell."

Apollo decided to add his two cents.

"I'm down with that, too. I'll protect you from harm, alongside my cousin. We're expert swordsmen, you see, and we are devoid of honor in combat. That makes us a legitimate threat to any who cross us."

Minato spoke up.

"I… I guess I'll help, too. I'll help you escape as best I can."

"That's the spirit! Musubi, Matsu, Tsukiumi, got anything to say?"

"Musubi will help! Musubi will protect the bond between Haruka and Klutzy!"

"I'm Kuno, not Klutzy…"

"Matsu will do information gathering and planning."

"And Spitfire?"

"Stop calling me Spitfire!"

"I will when you stop earning the name. Are you or are you not going to help them escape their unfavorable circumstances for a shot at happiness together?"

"By helping them flee like dogs? Never! It is dishonorable to even consider doing so!"

"Discretion is the better part of valor. And part of honor is helping those in need. They need to get out, because they know that they have no chance against some of the others. They aren't being cowardly. They are being realistic. So, I repeat: Will you or will you not help them?"

"I would never assist such cowardice!"

"Apollo, calm down, don't kill her, you'd have to clean up the resulting mess."

Apollo was fuming, pissed beyond all comprehension at Tsukiumi.

"Just one more… one more line about honor, one more weak justification for leaving them to their fate… that's all I need, and nobody will ever find the body."

"Apollo, go grab the axes. We need to calm you down."

"Alright, fine."

Apollo stood up, and left the room. He returned a minute later, with an electric guitar on a strap hanging around his shoulders, and another held by the neck in his hand. He handed the one in his hand to David, who began strumming out a basic rhythm. He stopped after the first bar, and Apollo picked up on it, playing the second bar. They went back and forth, playing a bar each, and building on each other's last bars. This continued for a few minutes, at which point Apollo had calmed down considerably.

"Feel better?"

"Lots. Actually, why not play an actual song for these folks? More than just something fun for us, something enjoyable to listen to."

David dropped into Etruscan once more.

"How about The Devil Went Down To Georgia?"

"Sounds good. Let's do it."

And that's how David and Apollo ended up playing, for an hour, any and all classic rock they thought of, sans lyrics and anything other than guitar.

* * *

That night

* * *

David was asleep, while Apollo was not. He was worried, because Uzume had not returned yet. He was waiting by the door, leaning against the wall, swords in their sheathes, but right hand on one of them.

The door opened, admitting in two smiling, very hot, and very drunk ladies.

"Why hello there, Uzume. Haven't seen you at all today… wait, I have. When you were trying to kill Haruka and Kuno. And you… You're the one who came to her defense when David and I leapt into the fray."

They were suddenly very stony faced.

"Oh, don't worry, I haven't told anyone, and neither had David. But you may want to use a more concealing disguise next time. Maybe a balaclava, or a full face mask in addition to the hood."

"Do any-"

"They didn't see through the paper thin disguise. Hell, we probably wouldn't've recognized you if I wasn't pervert extraordinaire and David didn't have the nose of a bloodhound."

Another pause.

"Oh, and by the way, precious, you've already hurt my cousin once. Hurt him again, and they'll never find the body."

And with that, Apollo shifted forward onto his feet, and walked off, up the stairs, and into his room.

"Who was that kid?"

"Apollo. Him and his cousin David are the new tenants here. They aren't Ashikabi, neither one of them, but they do know about the Plan, and everything that entails."

"Huh. He seems familiar…"

"You shot a gale force wind at them, throwing David 10 meters to land on his left shoulder. That couldn't have been comfortable. As to what he means by hurt him again… maybe he's saying to stay out of their way in combat?"

"I hope…"

* * *

That morning

* * *

David walked up the stairs, and over to Minato's door, knocking three times before opening it.

"Minato, it's time for oh you son of a bitch."

Sleeping next to Minato were Uzume and the woman David had seen yesterday. And they were naked. A grin crossed David's face, and he walked off, walking back with Tsukiumi.

"Just what did you want me to s- MINATO! YOU UNFAITHFUL DOG!"

"Urgh… it's too loud… keep your voice down…"

"Hm? Oh, hey, this isn't my room. What happened last night?"

Apollo, standing next to David, spoke.

"You came home drunk and must've went into the wrong room before stripping and falling asleep."

"Oh yeah… And you said some things…"

"Things which will not be shared with anyone on pain of the most painful and potent torments I can conjure."

"Ah, right, right."

David spoke once more.

"So, who's your friend, Uzume?"

The woman spoke up.

"I am #03, Kazehana."

"Ah! I think I have a message for you! Let me go grab it…"

David walked off, and returned a minute later holding a sheet of paper.

"Let's see… here we are: 'Tell her that she needs to...', wait, no, I'm not reading this out loud."

"What does it say?"

"Here."

He handed the sheet to Kazehana, who looked at it for a moment before handing it back, saying:

"I can't read that."

"Ah. Hold on, let me get a pencil and some paper… Oh, and Minato, breakfast is ready."

* * *

Breakfast

* * *

David was translating the message from English script to Kanji, while everyone else was eating breakfast. Aside from Kazehana, a new person at the table was a silver haired pretty boy who introduced himself as Kagari, and who had apparently been staying for longer than anyone save for Matsu, Uzume, and Miya. He was simply nocturnal, due to working at a host club.

He was admittedly rather scared by Apollo and David, and their tendency to keep their swords on their persons at all times.

"And it's done."

"You could've just read it out loud."

"I've gone two weeks without receiving a slap from an irate woman because I delivered a message she didn't want to hear. I don't want to break that lucky streak."

"Oh, I'm not that bad…"

"Then read this piece of paper without scowling, gritting your teeth, tearing it, or crumpling it."

He handed her the sheet of paper, and, as she read it, he ducked behind Apollo for cover. True to his word, she crumpled the paper, scowled, and looked at where David had been sitting.

"Where'd he go?"

David very quietly snuck out of the room, before throwing caution to the wind and sprinting out the open back door and into the back yard.

"...was I really that bad when I was reading it?"

"Yep. You scared him good."

"Damn… guess I should apologize…"

"He knows his feminine indignation very well. He knows that, until it is vented, usually at the cause, it is unsafe to go near the woman in question."

"How does he-"

"His school was filled with nasty little spitfires like Tsukiumi over there. We call her Spitfire, actually. Even though her power is water."

"Heh… rolls off the tongue faster than 'Panty-flasher-chan'. That short skirt…"

"Shh… if you point that out, she might stop wearing it, and that would make me very sad. Anyways…"Apollo shouted."Hey! David! It's safe to come in now!"

David dropped from the roof, upside down, and caught the door jam with his feet, flipping him right side up, as he twisted through the air to land on his feet, facing the others.

"I know. I hear everything that goes on in here. Everything."

"Including-"

"Last night, yes, I heard that. We need to talk about that, but later. Anyways, yeah, I hear everything that goes on in here. It's a combination of my really good hearing, the paper thin walls, and the fact that you guys are really loud. It's like a radio soap opera, no matter where I am."

"See? Even he agrees !"

"Quiet, Matsu. Anyways, anyone have any idea what to do with today? I'm at a loss."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Apollo and I have two things to keep us occupied: sparring, and music. Our fingers are sore for hours after music, so we don't do that unless we're entertaining others, and sparring gets old after ten to twenty minutes of it. So, we need things to do. We were going to go shopping for groceries yesterday, but I don't think we actually did that."

"No, they did. You just weren't there."

"Ah, damnit. Well, any ideas?"

"We could go for a walk…"

"Good idea, Apollo. We can get to know the city. Acquire some materials we need if we're going to be fighting on a semi-regular basis."

"Indeed. Sheet steel and leather."

"Don't forget the rivets."

"I thought those were a given."

"Fair enough."

"What are those two talking about?"

"We're talking about making some armor, so that we can take a hit without dying or losing blood."

"Oh."

"Right, well, no time like the present. Let's go, Apollo."

* * *

Not fifteen minutes later

* * *

"Damnit, why do we always end up in a fight when we leave the house?!"

"I don't know!"

Apollo and David had been approached by a group of Sekirei. They had demanded that they come with them, thinking that David and Apollo were Sekirei, so that their master could add them to his collection. They were currently in the middle of a fight between a woman with a whip(cut down to size by David's right falchion), a woman who threw tons of knives, shurikens, and other sharp objects tied to strings(which were cut by Apollo as they were thrown, messing up the trajectory so badly that he didn't need to worry about the projectiles), and a woman who was throwing icicles as thick as golf balls with alarming speed. David and Apollo were, for the moment, untouched, but they were starting to tire. The whip-woman had retreated, and David turned his attention to the ice woman.

"Why are you attacking us? What offense have we given you?!"

"Our Master ordered us to bring you to him so he can wing you."

"We aren't Sekirei, we can't be winged!"

Everyone stopped.

"What?"

"I said, we're not Sekirei, we're just humans who are absurdly good at fighting! Go back to your master, tell him that we aren't Sekirei."

"He will not believe us. I will be thrown away again."

Suddenly, David was filled with concern. He sheathed his swords, and approached the woman in a harmless manner.

"Any master who punishes you for things outside of your control is a master not worth following. If he'll throw you away just for failing a task, then come with us. We will not throw you out, for any reason."

Not entirely true. He would throw her out if she turned out to be a threat to him or the others, and that was the only way to protect them. But that's not what he was going to say to the subservient woman who wants someone to follow.

"...yes. I will follow you, Master."

"You don't have to call me Master. Just call me David."

"Yes, David."

David turned to Apollo, and spoke, in Etruscan.

"Whoever this woman is has joined the party!"

He then hummed the Final Fantasy victory music.

"Dude, not funny."

"Eh. Anyways…"He dropped back into Japanese."Let's get going, and go back home."

"Couldn't we, I dunno, finish the shopping we were supposed to do?"

"You go do that, I'll introduce Akitsu to the others."

"Asshole, making me carry everything?"

"Get a backpack. We were planning on doing that anyways."

"Fine. Go and introduce your girlfriend to the others."

"I'm not even going to bother denying that because we both know the truth."

* * *

Later

* * *

"No, I will sit next to him at dinner! Not you!"

"Musubi wants to sit next to him!"

David walked in, covering his ears.

"For the infinite love of Christ, shut up! You two are so loud and you argue over the smallest of things! Can't you just flip a coin, or, better yet, just stop arguing over it? Whatever makes you two stop yelling is fine with me, so long as me and Apollo continue to draw breath."

He paused, tilting his head in thought.

"Okay, spare seven more people: Akitsu, right here, Kagari, Uzume, Miya, Matsu, Kusano, and Kazehana. I like them."

Kazehana yelled from the living room.

"What about Minato?"

"What about him? He's really not that interesting a character. Miya is the condescending yet wise landlady, Uzume is the playful tomboy, Matsu is the nerdy pervert, Kusano is the adorable little girl who has yet to really say anything, Kagari is the straight man who is made reasonably nervous by the two guys with swords who admit to having at least one plan to kill anyone they meet, and you're most likely the one with the tragic past."

"What makes you say that?"

"It's not even 1 in the afternoon and I can already smell the booze on your breath. It's entirely possible that you're an alcoholic for other reasons, but this doesn't seem like the sort of story to include that sort of thing."

"What do you mean, story?"

"...I'll explain later. Possibly when you're completely sober."

"Mou, you're no fun."

Muttering in Etruscan to himself,

"You'll change your tune soon enough."

"What was that?"

Dropping back into Japanese,

"I was muttering to myself in a dead language. Don't worry about it. Anyways, back to my main point, this is Akitsu, she'll be staying with us from now until she leaves."

"Hello."

And then the introduction game started.


End file.
